Embers
by VampChippzRisesAgain
Summary: Roman can't accept defeat...not if it means getting his friends back. As Imagination crumbles to dust around him and he's locked in a five-against-one duel, what is he willing to sacrifice for the sake of his family? *I only own the idea.*


_/I HIGHLY recommend listening to I Burn by Jeff Williams to get the full effect of this chapter. It inspired me to create it, actually!_

 _(This is a Human AU as well as a Superpower AU. This can be seen as a stand-alone chapter, but it's actually gonna be a part of a new fanfic I'm working on. Think of this as a sneak-peek, and let me know what you think!)_

 _Plot_ _: Roman's friends have been taken over by the very villain they were fighting against, who wants to use Roman's power to force humanity into submission. As the Guardian - no, as the Prince - of Imagination, it's up to Roman to break his friends from the mastermind's control...but can he?_

 _I still own nothing but the idea...a shame, really. Enjoy!_

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" _ **Come at me, and you'll see...I'm more than meets the eye.**_

 _ **You think that you'll break me; you're gonna find in time..."**_

 _~I Burn by Jeff Williams_

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Roman stood tall against his adversaries, his enemies...

His friends.

Patton raised his fists, an ominous blue aura surrounding them as he narrowed his eyes.

Deceit laughed with a seemingly childish glee as a midnight black cane twirled in his grasp, the end pointing at him as he seemed to bow.

Logan lowered his hands as thousands of files appeared around his head, their glow making his glasses glint as an eyebrow quirked cockily.

Virgil bent his knees a little as he was surrounded by a black mist, his amethyst orbs seeming to glow as a smirk crawled its way onto his face.

And Thomas…

Thomas was at the front of the group, an iridescent shield held tightly in his grip as he cackled.

"How does it feel to be beaten by your friends even when aided by your own power?"

All around them, the remains of the castle burned as debris fell from the ceiling. Imagination was crumbling, the fire splitting off into separate embers which quickly spiralled out of control as they came into contact with the dry grass. Roman's people screamed as three forest fires began, gnawing away at their homes and taking the lives of their loved ones.

Without sparing so much as a glance at the devastation Roman snapped his fingers. Rain clouds appeared over the sources of destruction, reducing the natural disasters to nothing but mere smoldering embers.

"I'm still standing, aren't I?"

Thomas smirked, bringing his shield up to his chest. "We'll see about that, dear _Prince_."

As if on cue they all attacked, rushing towards the one person who dared to defy them. Roman hardened his mocha orbs as he slowly drew his blade, crimson cape blowing in the wind as ruby rose petals fell around him.

Even if it seemed otherwise...he would do everything he could to get his friends free from the control of that _madman_.

Surprisingly, Logan was the first one to strike. He used his data as footholds to gain the height advantage over Roman before letting gravity drag him back down to earth, fist pulled back for a punch that would be two times stronger than normal. Roman waited until the last couple of seconds to twist out of the way, Logan's fist creating a crater once it made contact with the ground. Before the prince had time to think through a strategy Deceit was upon him, his cane moving in for a quick jab which was deflected purely out of instinct. Instead of being deterred the liar continued his onslaught, swinging his weapon in a controlled arc before letting the momentum take him into a roundhouse kick.

Roman felt the heel of Deceit's boot brush against his cheek as he bent backwards, leaning to his right to escape the axe kick the short blonde slid into in order to crush his skull. Small bits of gravel flew at Roman's face from the force of the kick, but he paid it no heed as Patton uppercutted him abruptly.

He stumbled backwards, feeling a wave of trepidation overcome him as Patton's aura worked its magic. The father figure had told him about his ability once, when they were baking; it could manipulate other people's emotions, but he laughed and said that he only ever used it to calm down those who feel out of place or overly stressed.

It was lethal if put into the wrong hands.

His sixth sense warned him of the incoming danger as he leapt to the side before he could even process the action, a dark ball of energy exploding where he stood mere seconds ago.

"Damn; almost had him. You're gonna need a few more hits, Pat." Virgil called out as Logan waved his hand, Roman seeing how the skin was split due to the punch from earlier.

"I know." Patton sighed before something shot past him. Roman lifted his sword up to counter Thomas' shield, skidding back a few feet but effectively holding his ground.

This was bad. One on one, he could take them…

But five against one, not to mention that their teamwork is flawless?

It was near impossible.

"Gonna give up yet and submit?" Thomas taunted, using his shield to force Roman's weapon to the side at an awkward angle before he went in for a right hook.

"Never!" Roman has known Thomas for a long, long time. Naturally, one thing he learned about his best friend is that he was left-handed like him. Using that knowledge to his advantage, he threw his sword high into the air despite the angle in exchange for gripping Thomas' forearm and throwing him. His friend-turned-enemy yelped in surprised as he slammed face first into the concrete wall of Roman's castle, nursing his face as he took his time getting up.

"Why fight so hard for them? You owe them nothing!" Virgil descended on the prince, not giving him even a single moment to breathe as he shot multiple blasts at not only him but the surrounding area. It was all Roman could do to evade each ray of darkness, grabbing his sword out of midair as he slammed the pommel into Virgil's temple.

"You're right; I _am_ nothing." Roman declared, watching his enemies regain their wits. He knew that talking would give them time to form a strategy, but with all the turbulent emotions welling up inside of him it was hard not to voice them. "But then...they gave me a purpose. A reason."

Memories flashed by him, akin to a cinematography of all his better moments.

Patton smiling brightly as they baked second cookies for Santa Claus.

Deceit playing video games with him, laughing as he gawked at his dead character.

Logan launching into a debate about the state of the world, coffee mug in hand as his eyes twinkled.

"I'm not - ...I'm not _Pride_ because of them."

Static. A broken crown, resting in top of an equally broken man's head as he laughed at the misery of others. Just as fast as it came it was gone, replaced by the previous memories.

"They rekindled my hopes and my dreams, and I'd be damned if I didn't do everything I could to help them out in turn!"

Virgil exposing the dark side of Disney, yet not once disagreeing with him on the fact that Disney's content also sends some positive messages.

Thomas holding his hand out to him, making him leave behind that wretched crown and pushing him towards a brighter future.

"So...there can be no option of defeat for me!" Roman rushed forward, a seemingly reckless charge against larger numbers. They fought back even fiercer than before, resulting in him getting a crack rib, a cut across his right cheek, and heightened fear to the point that he was shaking. He was losing, and they knew it.

There was only one option left…

But it was a gamble.

Could he trust them?

 _...What kind of question is that?_

Slamming the blade of his sword into the ground, Roman took his crown off of his head and stared at it lovingly. He swiped his thumb against its smooth surface, mocha eyes sending a silent message to the object before placing it back on his head.

"I'm sorry, everyone." Wrapping his hands around the hilt of his blade the prince closed his eyes, a harsh wind tearing through the decimated landscape as he concentrated.

This was his last resort, and while it was a bad one to fall back on…

It was the only shot he had at getting his friends back.

"This was in the Boss' predictions!" Even when controlled, Deceit retained his habit of lying.

" _Sides 1 through 5, report. What is your status concerning your mission?"_

"Not good at the moment. Just when we thought we had the upper hand, the Prince pulled an ace out of his sleeve." Logan responded, the others warily eyeing the crowned male.

Said crown began to crack, an uncontrollable grin threatening to split Roman's face in two as his eyelids smashed against each other in agony.

"Just...a little longer…!" Roman gasped out, hoping that he wouldn't revert back. Opening one eye, he saw his friends get on their knees with shouts clawing their way out of their throats as a gray cloud separated itself from each of them. It was almost fully out when a blinding pain seared through his mind, causing him to cry out and drop to a knee. The ground underneath him cracked, white light of pure energy pouring out into the air as it worked to dispel the unwanted substance.

"Ugh…" Hearing their groans has never made him so relieved in his life. Once they fully opened their eyes they saw their ever steadfast friend on one knee, looking worse for wear.

"Roman!" Patton cried out as he ran to him, the others close behind.

"Stop!" His command froze them in their tracks, letting them truly see how he was faring. Tremors racked his entire body and his head was bowed; he seemed to be gripping onto his sword for dear life.

"What's wr - " Virgil never got to finish his hesitant sentence as the white energy emanating from the ground turned into pitch black sludge. A loud _CRACK_ snapped their gazes back to the prince, more specifically his head.

Two halves of an object rolled to a stop at Virgil's feet.

Roman's crown.

Thomas' eyes widened at the implication, ordering everyone to get down as a burst of energy knocked them off of their feet. Logan managed to catch Patton before his head was split open by a boulder, the blonde thanking him as he checked to make sure that everyone else was alright. Before he could, however, a dark laugh came from their right.

Pride has come back to play.

And Roman was going to stay asleep for a long, long time.

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 _/While it's sort of rushed at the end (due to sleep deprivation), I think it gets the point across. I hoped you liked it, and comment your thoughts!_

 _Until next time!_

 _~VampChippz_


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